Top 10 Best Fiction TV Series

Clinching the numero uno title in this list is HBO’s fantasy drama series ‘Game of Thrones’. Based on George R. R. Martin’s fantasy series novel ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’, ‘Game of Thrones’ was created by D.B.Weiss and David Benioff and premiered in 2011. The show is set in fictitious continents of Westeros and Essos and through its various plot lines and ambiguous multi-dimensional characters covers themes of religion, power, loyalty, war, corruption, sex, hierarchy, societal roles, among many others. The Show has achieved instant success across the globe and so far has garnered 182 nominations and 59 wins. The show has already been renewed for a fifth and a sixth season to be aired in 2015 and 2016 respectively. It has created a loyal strong and huge fandom which is ever increasing, who make it is one of the most highly appreciated TV shows ever. ‘Time’ magazine in its praise for the show said “Watching Game of Thrones is like falling into a gorgeous, stained tapestry. This epic, unflinching fantasy noir takes our preconceptions of chivalry, nobility and magic and gets medieval on them.”

ITV’s costume period drama ‘Downton Abbey’ finds itself in the second spot in the list of best fiction TV series. The series created by Julian Fellowes premiered in 2010 is currently airing its 5th season as of 2014. It follows the lives of the Crawley Family and their staff in the fictitious Downton Abbey in Yorkshire in the post-Edwardian era. The show has been highly praised and has received accolades from worldwide. Besides, gathering the most nominations in the history Primetime Emmy Awards, it has also found itself in the Guinness World Records Book for being the most critically acclaimed English-language television series of 2011. It boasts of an eccentric ensemble cast including Maggie Smith, Laura Carmichael, Jessica Brown Findlay, Penelope Wilton, among others. “The next great “Masterpiece Theatre” series has arrived”, says ‘New York Daily News’ about the show.

Netflix’s ‘Orange is the new black’ comes into the top 3 by finding itself on the 3rd spot on the list of best fiction TV series. Created by Jenji Kohan, the show is based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, ‘Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison’. Premiering in 2013 and starring Taylor Shilling, ‘Orange is the new black’ put forwards the experiences of Piper Kerman, a bisexual, who is sentenced to prison for 15 months for a crime she was not aware of doing until very late. With two seasons completed and a third season on the pipeline in 2015, the show has already managed to collect 3 Critic’s Choice Television, 3 Primetime Emmy, 4 Satellite, 3 Young Hollywood Awards, beside many other wins and nominations. In its praise for the series, ‘San Francisco Chronicle’ said, “In every case, there is an abiding feeling for character and authenticity that helps elevate Orange Is the New Black to a new definition of television excellence.”

Dark comedy crime drama ‘Fargo’ takes the 4th position on the list of best fiction TV series, which is loosely based on the 1996 film of the same name. It follows Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) as she teams up with Duluth police officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks), her comrade to solve a series of murder. The show premiered in 2014 and has been renewed for a second season in 2015. With three Critic’s Choice Television, 2 Primetime Emmy and countless nominations already, ‘Fargo’ has been touted as one of the best TV show of 2014. ‘Fargo’ has been applauded for presenting quirky characters, fresh storyline that has been executed with dark humour and odd twists.

HBO’s smart, sassy and funny TV series ‘Girls’ grabs the 5th position in the list of best fiction TV series, which follows a group of young people in their 20s in NYC. Creator Lena Dunham, who is also the lead star of the show, has been inspired from some of her own real life experiences. The show has been highly praise for its portrayal of female comradeship and friendship; and has won 9 awards including 1 Primetime Emmy, 1 Writers Guild of America, among 26 other nominations. Premiering in 2012, it has completed three seasons with a fourth season on the way in 2015. The series has also been adapted into books, recently.

Number 6 in this countdown goes to the pulp detective fiction inspired, anthological crime drama ‘True Detective’, created by Nic Pizzolatto and starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in lead roles. The show, which premiered in 2014 has already been renewed for a second season in 2015 due to high critical acclaim and huge popularity. Spreading over a timeline of over 17 years, the show follows the lives of two detective in Louisiana as they hunt down a serial killer. The TV series has already garnered 5 Prime Time Emmy, 1 Critic’s Television Choice award, beside 9 other nominations in its first year of running. ‘Los Angeles Times’ in its praise for the show wrote “True Detective runs slow and steady without ever seeming to drag. Even minor characters get room to breathe, and seem independently alive; the briefest scenes seem to imply life beyond the frame”.

Landing in at number 7, is the American Sitcom ‘Raising Hope’. Created by Greg Garcia and premiering in 2010, ‘Raising Hope’ tells the story of 24 year old James “Jimmy” Chance, who encounters a one-night stand with a serial killer, who is on a death row, and who becomes impregnated by him and dies shortly after giving birth to the baby. Now, Jimmy is faced with the tough job raising the baby with the help of family all alone. Recently completing its fourth season in 2014, the series has won various awards including Satellite and Jamison Awards, among numerous nominations. The series has been successful in both making the audience laugh and get teared up, which in itself says a lot about the show.